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This week in history for February 28, 2013

Walsenburg

1900: Last week the Pension Board increased the pension of George Markham, war veteran living in the St. Mary’s community, from $6.00 to $8.00 per month.
1906: The Walsenburg Foundry and Manufacturing Company formally opened last Thursday and already have enough orders for pit cars for the mines to keep them busy for several months.
1912: The resources of the First National Bank have increased to $886,968.04.
1918: The democratic ladies of the Jane Jefferson Club gave a dance last Saturday night in Maccabee Hall.
1923: The school at Pass Creek under Miss Thelma Prudhoe closed for the term last week, and those at Cucharas and Badito will conclude next month.
1929: The Walsenburg Auto Show at the Sears Garage will feature 24 cars from 12 dealers, all members of the Walsenburg Automobile Dealers Association, plus music and special features.
1935: Joseph O’Byrne bought out Adolph Unfug’s interest in Baxter Hardware to become sole owner. This includes the retail store at the corner of Seventh and Main streets, the warehouse in the 100 block of West Seventh, and the site of the other warehouse on Albert Street near the Denver and Rio Grande depot.
1941: Mrs. Vic Amidei of Farr reports she received a letter from her sister in Italy postmarked Nov. 18, which means it took 96 days to reach here because of the war conditions in Europe.
1947: Died, Agapito P. Atencio, 55, who founded the El Clarin newspaper and served as Walsenburg postmaster from 1932 to 1935.
1953: The Decorating Committee for the annual Huerfano County High School Band formal is made up of Clarabelle Elley, Georgina Grgich, Betty Jean Hindes, Jan Christensen, Ardeth Phipps and Ben Martinez. The theme will be “Blue Moon” and the Meltones will provide the music.
1959: Hosting grand openings this weekend will be Tony’s Frontier Corner, 9th and Main streets, and Tes’ Dairy Drive-In, formerly Porter’s, at 520 Walsen.
1965: The Knights of Columbus will sponsor a bazaar in St. Mary School Saturday with booths, dinner and prizes including black and white televisions.
1971: The Ben Franklin store at 525 Main is going out of business according to Owner Kenneth Krier.
1978: City Council hired Roxie Marie Eccher for the position of meter maid and secretary for the police department at a salary of $500 per month.
1984: Walsenburg High School’s boys and girls basketball players were stranded by snow and wind last weekend in Lamar and Trinidad, respectively.
1992: Rancher’s Café, 284 Highway 10, will have an All You Can Eat Sunday buffet featuring Swiss Steak or Chicken and Dumplings, vegetables, roll, dessert, soup, salad and beverage, for $5.25.

La Veta

1902: Moses E.D. Culler, brother of William Culler and half brother of Alex Young, our town barbers, was declared insane and taken to the sanitarium in Pueblo.
1908: One local ranchman told us he has sold 945 dozen eggs at 25 cents a dozen during the past year.
1914: T.P. Steele has rented the Elrod building on Francisco Street and will move his repair shop there. His father-in-law Israel Fry will have a cabinet shop in the same building.
1920: The J.K. Kincaid real estate firm sold the former DeVietti ranch just south of La Veta to Mr. Crews.
1926: The Denver and Rio Grande Western has made packing shed space available for local vegetable growers, including Charles Hector, Mr. Derrick and M.T. Marsh.
1932: Huerfano County sheep growers have netted an average of 18 cents per pound for their wool sold through the Colorado and New Mexico Marketing Association.
1938: The American Legion Ladies Auxiliary received its charter and will install as first officers Mrs. Lloyd Booth, president; Mrs. Lou Coleman, vice president; Mrs. Ernest Dean, secretary; and Mrs. Roy Flock, secretary.
1944: The Citizens Party nominated W.B. Hall for mayor, Karl Gilbert for clerk, Rev. J.H. Gerault for treasurer and Lloyd Booth, Emmett Brown, Ralph M. Garren, Joe K. Kincaid, Tony Masinton and George E. Smith for trustees. They will face off with the all female Independent party slate the first Tuesday in April.
1950: About 35 members of the Huerfano County Sportsmen Club went to war against magpies in the Red Wing and Gardner areas after Game Warden J. Frank Cordova said to “rub them out”.
1956: The La Veta Pass snow course as measured by Forest Ranger Lewis A. Cummings is 25.1 inches with 8.4 inches of water content, about the same as last year.
1963: A two foot snowfall this week brought the water supply to about 70 percent of normal.
1969: Died, John Oscar Smith, 84. He was born in 1885 on a farm five miles east of La Veta to William Ellis Smith who moved his family to Alamosa. In 1904 they returned and bought the Lorenzo Drum ranch. He leaves his wife Nellie, daughter Mrs. Robert Weir, son Ellis, brother Harold and sister Mrs. Neal Baysinger.
1975: La Veta High School winners in the district Future Business Leaders of America conference were Susan Leatherwood, Geneva Smith and Leslie Denton.
1981: La Veta Re-2 Board of Education unanimously rehired Superintendent Cliff Young at a salary of $27,500 and High School Principal Larry Wood at $20,000.
1987: Roy Lee and Leland Cecil Casteel and their children have purchased the Mall complex and will operate the Bull and the Bear restaurant.
1993: Cuchara Valley Ski Resort is sponsoring a four week program for junior skiers under the direction of J.B. Christofferson, Cass Cruz, John Harrison and Rich Moore.

Cement plant concerns

Building inspector suggests a negotiated move out of Northlands to site near prison WALSENBURG — The Walsenburg City Council convened a special meeting Friday, March

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